Zero tolerance for gender-based violence

Trafficking and intimate partner violence are urgent social problems that are best combatted through international cooperation. Zero tolerance for gender-based violence is therefore a prioritised theme in the Nordic Council of Ministers’ gender equality work.
Some of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ activities within the framework of this theme are described below.

As part of this project, the government agencies involved have met to discuss further development of risk assessment methods. There has been a particular focus on multi-professional cooperation and the development of support persons for victims of intimate relationship violence. The project is coordinated by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare in cooperation with the Swedish National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women and the Norwegian Department of Justice and Directorate of Health. The final project report will be presented in late February.

Expert seminar on gender-based violence

Nordic experiences regarding gender-based violence will be discussed at an expert seminar on gender-based violence in Iceland on 25 September 2014. The project Risk Assessment in Intimate Relationship Violence in the Nordic Countries will be presented as an example.

Cooperation with neighbouring countries

The Nordic countries are cooperating closely with neighbouring countries to prevent gender-based violence. One example is Zero Tolerance for Gender-Based Violence. This initiative has been designed by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ office in St. Petersburg with a view to facilitate knowledge exchange between Russia and the Nordic countries.

The Nordic countries are also cooperating with the Baltic states. In 2014, the Nordic and Baltic countries will organise a conference with a particular focus on rape and other types of sexual abuse. The conference targets experts and will increase the awareness of sexual abuse as a serious crime and a violation of human rights. The cooperation with the Baltic states will also include a seminar on trafficking with a focus on the demand side. This seminar will also be held in 2014.